I understand COVID-19 has dramatically impacted supply chains and has lead to staff shortages, but wait times for appetizers and the meal were egregious, taking nearly an hour and a half from being seated to get food. I can't say the payoff was worth it either, as the cedar plank salmon I waited for was over cooked, dry, and flavorless. Our poor waiter sadly informed me I would have to wait even longer for a replacement, so I decided it wasn't worth it. Service was acceptable, albeit, as our waters were filled regularly and the waiter took off an appetizer from the check as an apology. read more

Ray's Waterfront - Ray's Waterfront - Seafood Near Me - Seward, Alaska

Great views and excellent fish and chips. The strawberry rhubarb crumple was great and the service was on point!

In the middle of COVID-19, it felt pretty spacious. However, with that being our first time there, I feel that on a "normal" day, it could easily feel crowded. The food was delicious though! The host had a great personality and was super friendly, too. Our waitress seemed pretty annoyed when we asked questions regarding the menu though. We got the crab cakes and curried halibut. Both of those were out of this worldddd. Perfect portion sizes and great pairings with them. Great with a bottle of Pinot Noir, too! read more

We were looking for good halibut that wasn't fried, and jackpot! They had 3 options (including one grilled over a salad), so our table ordered all three to try them all. They were all absolutely delicious, and we walked away very happy. We were fortunate enough to get a table at the front overlooking the harbor. A seal and sea otter entertained us as we enjoyed the beautiful view. The staff was friendly and efficient. We would definitely come again. Be sure to arrive early. By 6 PM on a Monday, it was an hour wait. read more

They hurry you through your meal to turn over tables. The creamy seafood linguine was soupy and not very flavorful. My husband enjoyed the fisherman's dinner but the side vegetables were over cooked. I expected better considering the prices we paid. read more

Good food an great stuff, lot to pick from. Right I'm the middle of everything . Little pricey but what not anymore.they do a great job!!!

Great view of the bay and amazing food. We are here two nights in a row while in town. The crab legs were fresh and great clean flavors. The scallops were very tasty. And the specialty drink menu was great as well. read more

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Sorry not edible. Appetizer of crab dip was grossly over salted. Hearty seafood chowder was pasty. Too much flower in my opinion. Management apparently does not sample these dishes. read more

We were seated immediately at an waterfront view table! It was a cool day so we ordered Fisherman's stew, seafood linguine and seafood chowder. Everyone enjoyed their meal! We were hoping the seafood chowder would be similar to a Norwegian fish soup but it was not. All of our meals were tasty and had a decent amount of fish included. They are located right in the center of the harbor and were walkable distance from our Airbnb. There is a nice walking path that leads right down the shore to the restaurants and shops. read more

Wow this place is terrible! AVOID AT ALL COSTS I DONT CARE THAT PEOPLE SAY ITS A TRADITION, ITS F-ING TERRIBLE. Go literally anywhere else in Seward this place is so gimmicky. the salmon was so overcooked it was like eating cardboard. the mashed potatoes weren't mashed i.e whole chunks of potato. the vegetables were not cooked and drowned in the terrible tasting brown sugar glaze. The seafood stew was just canned spaghetti sauce and overcooked pasta to the point that it arrived as mush. The mussels in the stew were literally not cooked enough to open the mussel and they served it. When we asked the waitress she just said oh that sucks must not be good to eat. What establishment does that? If I ordered something with some mussels or literally anything you don't just serve a bad product and shrug when the customer points it out. TERRIBLE ESTABLISHMENT THAT DOES NOT CARE ABOUT THE CUSTOMERS SINCE MOST ARE TOURISTS THAT THEY KNOW THEY CAN SERVE DOG SHIT TOO AND GET AWAY WITH. IF YOU LIKE BEING MISTREATED AND SERVED GARBAGE THIS PLACE IS GREAT! read more

Ray's was the place to be when we were there! They had a 30 min wait but we were sitting in less than 20 and hung at the bar while we waited! The food and drinks were so good and we left in a food coma. Right on the water with great views and service. read more

Beautiful view of the harbor from the restaurant. Food was okay but overpriced. The half pound king crab leg (1 leg) for $50...

My prime rib special was delicious and the garlic mashed potatoes also delicious. Highly recommend this. My Husband and son had halibut that tasted really dry. The seasoning on it was excellent .There is significant room for improvement on the halibut. The service was fantastic... very friendly staff and no long waits for food. Someone walks around refilling glasses so you always have a drink on hand. Son had a chocolate martini for dessert that he thought was great. It's the best he's ever had!!! Husband and I had the apple crisp. We ordered some vanilla ice to go with it too. It was okay. I think it needed more cinnamon. All in all... if we came back my husband and son would order something different. read more

Ray's Waterfront - Chocolate martini dessert. - Seafood Near Me - Seward, Alaska

Great seafood linguine and tasty chowder! Friendly and helpful staff. Good place to warm up and relax after a boat trip :)

My 2nd one-star of all time. If you prefer the short-and-sweet: at all costs avoid a headache and skip Ray's; eat at the food court across the street. With mediocre service, poor management, and sad cold ill prepared dishes, this once highly regarded and esteemed restaurant in Seward has fallen off the wagon. There were too many problems to list, but to highlight our Monday outing where they were maybe at half capacity (not that busy): the wait was about 2 hours from hostess to entrees. The food was cold and instead of doing something normal, the guy felt it and then apparently put it in the microwave, and brought out the same plates. How can steamed crab legs, veggies, and deep fried anything be cold? There are many interventions that could have rectified the situation at any of the problems, but sadly the service staff and line cooks haven't a clue of how to ensure a satisfying dining experience. Even a meaningful apology from a so-called manager could have made a dent in our perception. The next time I visit Seward, send tourists or family to Seward, or even tell anyone about the amazing beauty and adventures to be had in Seward, I will be sure to tell them to take their chances eating scraps with the seabirds before considering even taking a look inside of Ray's Waterfront house of cold food and bad service. read more

The seafood chowder and fish and chip are excellent. definitely will come back again before end of our vacation.

This is a nice place to stop after the coastal train ride. Food is fresh of course. Customer service is great and the view by the windows looking out to the marina is nice. The decor is a little dusty and feels a bit dingy, but that's the only con about it. Will definitely return again. Prices are okay. read more

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Best of the best! Pricey so be ready to be alarmed. For two without beverages and dessert was about $75 without tip.

The view is amazing, staff is friendly but understaffed. The fish & chips and shrimp basket was excellent. The Alaska Blonde is so smooth. Highly recommend this place even you ever find yourself in Seward. read more

Oh wow I just loved the whole experience of coming to Ray's!!! I was visiting Seward, AK and happened to pop into Ray's. The decor is sea/fishing/yet sorta fine dining all in one. The staff greeted me and sat me right away at a nice little table by their horseshoe shaped full service bar. I faced the windows overlooking the harbor. I LOVE boats, so that was neat. My server was Tiffany, and she was a "ray" of sunshine. I genuinely enjoyed interacting with her, even tho all I did was order a drink and food. She def has a presence. The menu is a lot of seafood as you would expect, as well as steak options and chicken items. But I'd go seafood as it's most likely caught that day. I ordered the Alaska Halibut with mushroom topping. (Good grief I forgot to take a photo of the menu and I forget now what exactly what it's called but it was halibut with mushrooms sautéed in wine.) It was something I wouldn't normally order, but I was kinda just distracted by the scenery and ambiance. A fresh loaf of bread was served with some oil & balsamic dippin' sauce. The food was served in a normal amount of time and was presented nicely. OMG the fish was amazing!!!!! The halibut was about an 1 1/2" thick, and halibut is a delicate flaky whitefish. It's really easy to over cook and dry out, especially one that's on the thicker side. This was so perfectly cooked. Tender and juicy and just packed with a terrific balance of complementing flavors! And the mushrooms on top, daaaang! It was like they were marinated in some red wine and olive oil and butter. Perfectly cooked as well. The two sides were broccoli and rice pilaf. Both were excellent as well! The broccoli had a buttery delicious flavor, and the rice was perfectly cooked and not mushy or all clumped together. Details were not overlooked here. For me, this was the perfect fish dinner; on the water, a terrific seaside atmosphere, outstanding service, and delightful complementary flavors. If there would've been some carrot cake for dessert, I might not have left! I highly recommend and will definitely return if I am back in Seward, AK. I LOVED eating at Ray's! read more

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We ate here last night and the food was very good. I was leery to eat here after some of the recent reviews, but we tried it anyway. Went at 4 and there was a line but everyone was seated. We got the hot crab dip to start, the free bread was good -- and needed as it took about an hour to get our entrees. But they were both delicious. We had the halibut special with a lobster veloute sauce, basil rice, and grilled vegetables, and the seafood pasta - which had great flavor. read more

I can forgive the 1plus hour wait for our food; they are understaffed and those present were working hard. What is harder to forgive is why halibut caught literally in their backyard is prepared and tastes better in Minneapolis. read more

Had a great meal. My wife ordered the 10 oz. NY strip and I the 1/2 crab and we shared. Surf and turf. Broccolini and steak were cooked perfectly. Great bread came with dinner. Wait staff was friendly and helpful. A side show of 3 harbor seals fished in the adjacent harbor while we ate. With the quality of the food I don't know how this restaurant only rated a 3.5 in Yelp. read more

The creole salmon linguine was fabulous, everything thing in Alaska is more expensive than the lower 48 but after you get used to that it was fine. Would defiantly order it again and so would my wife ( she had fish of some sort ) read more

We went here for our first meal in Seward. Then tried another restaurant. And came back here for our 3rd meal in town. We liked it better than the other place (both have views of the water). Ray's had a great menu & everything was delicious. The drink menu is very good too. Service was wonderful. Perfect location in walking distance from hotels. Highly recommend. read more

Ray's Waterfront - Seafood Near Me - Seward, Alaska

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Overpriced food, slow wait times, and bad service. The food is okay, but we had to wait approximately an hour for an order of grilled halibut and an order or fried halibut shortly after opening. The food was good but simply not worth the price and wait. Seward has too many good restaurants, I recommend you go somewhere else. read more

High priced for mediocre food. There's plenty of really good food in Alaska , but this is not it! Poorly executed recipes for salmon and other native fish, chowder that has no clams, and menu staples such as burgers are flavorless . Smaller operations in the same area are more customer driven, and less convinced of their superiority. read more

Staff and policy need review. Called Monday at 4 for reservation at 7. Was told not needed. Got there at 6:45. Waited at pedestal to give name. Another customer walks up and staff girl begins to take their name. I asked why she didn't take my name since I was standing there? She said it wasn't a big deal. Yes, to me it was a big deal since the wait was 1 1/2 hours and I waited before this other rude customer cut in front. Staff girl's time may not be important to her, but it is to me. No reservation needed, but you make people wait 1 1/2 hours???? Note to Ray's: YOU NEED TO TAKE RESERVATIONS! read more

The service was good, the views great, but the food was not good and way overpriced. Fish and chips for $40 (that seemed to be cod and not halibut), and overcooked salmon. read more

Food was awful. Steak overcooked, rest of food came barely warm. They were also very obviously taking bribes to allow people to cut in line (the wait was about an hour and a half to get in) we specifically heard at least two people walk up to the hostess stand and say something along the lines of "here's $100 to move us up in line" The only thing good was our waiter, he was very kind and quick to get our drinks and what not. Other than him a very poor experience read more

Fabulous waterfront location and views of the marina! Very good service from our server who was polite and attentive, could've been more personable. I like chatty servers in tourist towns. The halibut portion was generous and tasted good--standard fare, not any bells and whistles. I asked for a bun for my battered halibut and it was going to be FIVE DOLLARS MORE just for a bun! I was like LMAO no thanks! But overall I recommend; it's high season on the Kenai in Alaska so go for it. read more

Wonderful views & excellent food at this waterfront busy restaurant. We were amazed at the friendliness of the help & the attentiveness. The manager could be seen working along with all the help. The seafood was amazing (especially the crab legs & scallops). Bread pudding for dessert was fabulous. We've been in Alaska over a week & it's the best dining experience we've had. This is a top notch restaurant. It was also very busy. Great place to see taxidermy fish & sea creatures along with pics from commercial boats who collect Alaskas bountiful harvest! We also enjoyed the company of Ashley a college student who entertained us with brief stories @ Alaska. Despite the restaurant not appreciating Yelps hardcore sales pitches which are relentless next to Google - I leave all my reviews on YELP & that's how I found this restaurant! read more

Ray's Waterfront - Bread pudding. Amazing!!! - Seafood Near Me - Seward, Alaska

Alaska was amazing. Last night we ate @ Ray's, which the food was amazing. Crab legs was Worth it. The atmosphere was welcoming and the staff was friendly. I would truly recommend this place to eat. read more

Food was amazing the service was too, Kristie was just as good as the food!!! Loved the view, all was very fresh! Ate the fried halibut and the baked salmon with mashed and it was delicious! read more

This place was very crowded and there was nowhere to park. We've been in Alaska for several days and this was probably my least favorite place we ate. We got the grilled cheese and the salmon sandwich (salmon sandwich was pretty tasty) but they were both cold and we had a hard time grabbing our servers attention. This chaos may have been caused by covid and lack of staff but it wasn't anything special. read more

Seafood Linguine was absolutely excellent. I appreciate the use of zucchini, delicious. Great view of the harbor. Wait time for two on a busy afternoon was about 25 minutes. read more

Jaw dropping views for lunch. One of the nicest place we found for dining in Seward. Service was friendly, staff was helpful. Did the food blow me away - no. But it was good, albeit pricey. Halibut and chips was good. Kind of expected to be wow'd but no complaints. I do think it's a great dining option for Seward if you want a view and a nice sit down place to hang out. read more

The first time my party of 10 wanted to eat here, we got turned away around dinner time because they weren't taking anymore large parties. The second time I called ahead to ask if they could take our party of 10 for lunch and the guy said they could but we would now and it would be a 20 minute wait. I asked if I could put us on the waitlist and he said we would need to come in person to be added to the waitlist. Our group made it there within 20 minutes, but the girl at the check-in stand said she's not sure if we could be added on to the wait list. The guy I talked to the on phone came to us and he also was going to turn us away but I told him I just talked to him on the phone and that's why we came. He said in order for us to dine in we would have to split up for two different tables. I said it wasn't a problem. A few minutes later, the same guy said he actually could seat us all together so we were happy. And we were even more happier with the service and the food. Our server handled all our orders quickly and checked on us frequently for refills. I enjoyed the seafood chowder and the seafood linguine. Both dishes came with chock full of seafood, especially scallops. Awesome with a harbor as well. read more

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Food was edible, not great we ordered the cranberry chutney chicken, and the seafood linguine. Staff was friendly, the view was amazing.

Stayed in Seward for the nights, and ate here every night! Food was prepared correctly and deliciously each time, our servers were kind and helpful, and we really just enjoyed our experience. The only reason it is not five stars is the food is expensive, and if you sit in the bar you need to prepare to wait an extra long time for your food because they get really busy. Overall, great experience. read more